Method and apparatus for retrieving data from a network using linked location identifiers

ABSTRACT

A computer implemented method and system for retrieving information through a browser connected to a network. A first file of information is received which includes a first mark-up language to identify contents of the information, which contents include site identifiers. The site identifiers corresponding for example to file locations on the Internet. The first file is displayed in a browser window. Responsive to receiving the first file of information by the browser, the first file of information is parsed by a jumper to generate a list of site identifiers. This list of site identifiers is then stored by the jumper and displayed in a jumper window. Responsive to an activation by the user, a computer is directed to perform the following steps. The jumper determines which of the stored site identifiers is currently selected and automatically selects the next. Next the jumper directs the browser to access the file at the site corresponding to automatically selected site identifier. Finally, the browser is directed to display the file the browser has retrieved in the browser window.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.08/727,085 filed on Oct. 8, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,172.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to information retrieval. Morespecifically, the invention relates to tools for traversing hypertextdata.

2. Background Information

The development of computerized information resources such as theInternet and various on-line services, such as CompuServe™, AmericaOn-Line™, Prodigy™ and other services has lead to a proliferation ofelectronically-available information. This electronic information isincreasingly displacing more conventional means of informationtransmission, such as newspapers, magazines and even television.

The largest information resource in existence today is the Internet. TheInternet is a group of client and server computers linked one to anotherand each having a unique identifier, DNS (distributed network server),assigned by the Internet authority in Cambridge, Mass. and Geneva,Switzerland. In order for information to be found on the Internet everyfile is given a specific address by which it may be located. To accessthe Internet a user employs what is called a browser. Currently the mostpopular browser is Netscape Navigator™ browser developed by NetscapeCommunications Corporation of Mountain View, Calif. A wide array ofbrowsers is available for just about every platform. The browser's jobis twofold. First, given a pointer to a piece of information on the netit has to be able to access the information or operate in some way basedon the contents of that pointer. Second, if the document/file(hereinafter file) is encoded the browser has to translate that to asuitable format for display to the user. The display may includemultimedia effects, e.g. sound and animation.

The most popular encoding of Internet files communicated between clientand server is the HTML (hypertext markup language). The WWW (World WideWeb) or simply the “Web” includes all the servers adhering to thisstandard. Each page loaded from the Internet is a single file encoded inHTML. HTML describes the structure of a file. The structure of the fileincludes title, paragraphs, images and any pointers to other files.

The pointer to a specific site is called an URL (Uniform ResourceLocator). The URL provides a universal, consistent method for findingand accessing information for a Web browser. The URL comprises a filetype, a server I.D. (DNS), one or more directories and subdirectories,and a file name. URLs are also used as part of a hypertext link within afile to another file. These URLs then provide the browser with a way tonavigate the Web. URLs contain information about a file: including filetype (FTP, Gopher, HTTP), the Internet server on which the file islocated (WWW.NCSA.UIUC.EDU, or FDP.APPLE.COM, or Net Com 16.Net.Com, andso on), the directory of the file, and the file name.

In order to speed the process of finding relevant information on theInternet several servers on the Internet provide an index to theInternet and a search engine. These information indexers such as Yahoo™,Excite™, Lycos™, Inktomi™, and Alta Vista™ perform two valuablefunctions. First, using their own Internet links, they continuallysearch the Internet and index all files on the Internet into subjectcategories and store this index on their own database. The informationindexers also allow a client to connect to their server and enter asearch query. In response the information indexer provides a list of allfiles on the web that meet the search criteria. Therefore, theinformation indexer such as Yahoo™ not only updates and maintains atopical index for all files on the web, but also makes that indexsearchable by a client. It should be noted that the information that isretrieved from Yahoo™ contains only a general topic identifier and thefile location on the Internet for that specific topic.

It would indeed be a cumbersome process for the client seeking specificinformation if the indexes that were retrieved from Yahoo™ only told thesearcher where to look. If this were the case, the considerable taskremaining to the client would be to manually enter the network address,URL, of each file and the go through the process of retrieving thatfile. To overcome this problem, the search result retrieved by Yahoo™ isencoded in HTML as a hot-link which makes every “footnote” an activerather than a passive reference. These hot-links appear to the user inthe browser window as bold face text which is easily distinguished fromthe other text based information in the file. A hot-link comprises atext description and a corresponding URL. When the user selects ahot-link the browser detects that selection and outputs the URL on theInternet to retrieve the file corresponding to that URL and display itto the user. Therefore, by merely selecting with a mouse a specificfootnote in a file encoded in a markup language, a client is immediatelygiven access to the remote web server that contains the specific filereferred to in the footnote.

With a markup language such as HTML (hypertext markup language) bothamateurs and professionals become authors and the footnotes on theprinted page become the hypertext of the electronic page. What was apassive reference now becomes an accessible link to a related file. Amarkup language describes the structure of a file including headings,paragraphs, images and what are called hot-links. A hot-link displays atthe user level as text or graphic and is processed for communicationpurposes as an URL. It is these hot-links which provide the interactivefootnotes described above.

Even with the indexing provided by Yahoo™, Lycos™, Excite™, Inktomi™,Alta Vista™, etc., the process of finding the exact topic is stillextremely time consuming and can involve visiting literally hundreds ofWeb Sites. Typically, a user will retrieve a file from an informationindexer and will not only look at the files retrieved by selecting theindexers hot-links, but will also select other hot-links in theretrieved documents. This process of starting a search that begins withan initial hot-link and following a search trail that leads tosuccessive files each increasingly displaced from the starting point isknown as a drill-down. The problem with current browsers is that when auser has drilled-down through many levels of sites, the only way toreturn to the original HTML file is to hit the browser's back key whichmoves the user up one level at a time through the original search treeback to level “1.” Only then can the user access other hot-linksretrieved in the original search.

What is needed is a more efficient way to conduct a search.

SUMMARY

A first object of the invention is to provide operational controls forsimplified Internet navigation from various sites and back again.

A second object of the invention is to save users time and effort infinding information on the Internet.

A third object of the invention is to enable the publication of a newformat for on-line magazines, called Netazines, which allow publishersto leverage the navigational controls provided in the invention productto foster a new paradigm for browsing magazine style information on theInternet.

A computer implemented method and system for retrieving information froma network. In a first embodiment a first file of information is receivedwhich may include a first mark-up language to identify contents of theinformation, which contents include site identifiers. The siteidentifiers corresponding for example to file locations on the Internet.The first file is displayed in a browser window. Responsive to receivingthe first file of information by the browser, the first file ofinformation is parsed by a jumper to generate a list of siteidentifiers. This list of site identifiers is then stored by the jumperand displayed in a jumper window. Responsive to an activation by theuser, a computer is directed to determine which of the stored siteidentifiers is currently selected and automatically selects an other.The other includes the first, the prior, the next, or the last on thelist.

In a second preferred embodiment a first file of information in ahypertext markup language is received and displayed in the browserwindow. The first file of information also contains site identifiers andother information. The first file is displayed in the browser and isparsed, and the site identifiers from that file are stored by the jumperin a list. The stored list of site identifiers is displayed in thejumper window. Responsive to a selection by a user of automatic mode, acomputer is directed to perform the following steps. The jumper selectsa first site identifier from the stored list of site identifiers. Thejumper directs the browser to access the file at the site correspondingto the automatically selected site identifier. The browser, is directedby the jumper, to display the file in the browser window. Then thejumper initiates a delay of a predetermined interval. At the end of theinterval the jumper selects the next site identifier from the storedlist of site identifiers. The jumper directs the browser to access thefile at the site corresponding to the automatically selected next siteidentifier. The browser, is then directed by the jumper, to display thatfile in the browser window. The jumper continues to repeat thisanimation loop from one site identifier in the stored list of siteidentifiers to the next, until either the entire list of siteidentifiers has been sent to the browser and displayed, or until theuser terminates the process. In this manner, an animated tour of allfiles having site identifiers parsed from the first file is displayed inthe browser window under the direction of the jumper.

In a third embodiment, a first file of information in a hypertext markuplanguage is received and displayed in a browser window. The first fileof information also contains a site identifier and other information.The first file of information is displayed by the browser in the browserwindow. Responsive to receiving the first file of information, thejumper parses the first file and extracts and stores a list comprised offirst file site identifiers. The stored list of site identifiers is thendisplayed in the jumper window. The user is allowed to select from thebrowser window a specific site identifier, known as a search level “1”site identifier, and responsive thereto to cause the browser to accessand display a second file retrieved from the site corresponding to theselected level “1” site identifier. This second file includes ahypertext markup language and site identifiers. The user is againallowed to select from the browser window a specific site identifier andresponsive thereto causes the browser to access and display a third fileretrieved from the site corresponding to the selected site identifier.This process can be repeated in the browser, until the user hascompleted their search, or drill-down.

Responsive to the completion of the drill-down in the browser, asindicated to the jumper by receipt of a single jump selection from theuser, the computer is directed to perform the following steps. Thejumper determines which of the stored level “1” site identifiers iscurrently selected and automatically selects the single jump level “1”site identifier. Next the jumper directs the browser to access the fileat the site corresponding to the single jump selected level “1” siteidentifier. Finally, the browser is directed to display the file thebrowser has retrieved in the browser window. This allows the user toreturn to the files pointed to by the original level “1” siteidentifiers without having to traverse in reverse serial order the siteidentifiers selected in the drill-down.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and notlimitation in the figures in which like references indicate likeelements and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a client server system including embodiments of the jumperinvention.

FIG. 2. shows a more detailed view of the client server systemillustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3. shows a preferred embodiment of the screen interface and toolbar of the jumper.

FIG. 4 shows a prior art browser user interface, and the query form ofan information index provider.

FIGS. 5A-C shows a the initial stages of a search session utilizing aprior art browser and the jumper.

FIG. 6. shows a later stage in the search session of FIGS. 5A-C.

FIG. 7. shows the steps in the search process in prior art browsers.

FIGS. 8A-C shows the processes of a search session on the jumper.

FIGS. 9A-B show the search traversal patterns of a prior art browser andthe jumper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the invention is a method and apparatus for retrievinginformation through a browser connected to a network, and providing theinformation to a user. Although the following will be described withreference to certain particular embodiments, including data structures,flow of steps, hardware configurations, menu configurations, etc. . . ,implementation of the invention can be practiced without these specificdetails.

One embodiment of the invention allows a search to be conducted innon-linear order. This may be done in either single jump or automaticjump mode utilizing a jumper. A search tree does not therefore need tobe traversed in reverse serial order after a drill-down as is requiredutilizing prior art browsers. The invention allows a searcher to jumpacross multiple levels at a time.

Search Levels:

The operation of prior art browsers is best described by reference toFIG. 9A. FIG. 9A shows a series of hypertext files. The files may beresident on a hard drive, a local network, a wide area network or theInternet. Three hot-links are shown 920, 922, 924 on file 902. Hot-link924 is shown as linked to four levels of files. Selecting hot-link 924causes the browser to access file 926, which is a level 2 file.Selecting the first hot-link on file 926 causes the browser to accessfile 928, which is a level 3 file. Selecting the first hot-link on file928 causes the browser to access file 930, which is a level 4 file.Finally, selecting the first hot-link on file 930 causes the browser toaccess file 932, which is a level 5 file. Selecting hot-link 922 causesthe browser to access file 934, which is a level 2 file. Selectinghot-link 920 causes the browser to access file 936, which is a level 2file.

The traversal steps from hot-link 924 through 926, 928, 930 and 932constitute a drill-down from level 1 to level 5. Prior art browsersrequire that the user, in order to return to the original file 902, musttraverse the search tree in reverse serial order. As shown serial return904 traverses from 932 to 930, serial return 906 traverses from 930 to928, serial return 908 traverses from 928 to 926, and finally serialreturn 910 traverses from 926 to 902, the initial starting point. Thisrequires the needless steps of visiting each of the branches traversedin the drill-down. This process is unnecessarily time consuming whencompared with the capabilities of the current jumper invention.

FIG. 9B shows the same tree structures as does FIG. 9A. FIG. 9B showsthe use of one embodiment of the invention to traverse many levels at atime in either single jump or automatic jump mode. In the single jumpmode when the searcher has reached level 5 file 932. If the user wantsto return to level 1 they do not need to do so in reverse serial order,as is required by prior art browsers. Instead, the user directs thejumper to access the next level 1 hot-link. In response, the jumperreturns the user in a single jump 914 from level 5 file 932 to the level2 files pointed to by the hot-links in the level 1 file 902. Much timeis saved and the user can proceed to search other level 1 hot-links. Inautomatic jump mode, the user instructs the jumper to access allhot-links on the level 1 file 902. In response, the jumper directs thebrowser to access and display in the browser window each of level 2files 926, 934 and 936. These files are accessed by the browser inresponse to the jumper sending at timed intervals each of hot-links 924,922, and 920 from a parsed hot-link list to the browser. The browseraccesses each of the files 926, 934, and 936 to which hot-links 924,922, and 920 respectively point. This allows the user to see ananimation in the browser window for a timed interval.

Hardware:

In order to better understand the operation of a jumper, it is necessaryto first understand an environment in which the jumper is practiced.FIGS. 1-2, show the hardware environment in which the jumper operates.As shown in FIG. 1, an Internet 22 is connected to client 20 by anincoming Internet line 24 and an outgoing Internet line 26. Jumper 28and browser 30 are part of client 20. Internet 22 comprises servers 32,34, 36, and 38. Each server contains HTML files. The client and allservers are linked electronically. Server 34 is shown as the server ofan information indexer. The server comprises a CGI 42 (common gatewayinterface), forms 44 on which a user query is entered, and storagecontaining an updated topical index 46 of all files on the web. Toaccess a specific site on the network, browser 30 outputs an URL acrossoutgoing Internet line 26. Routers on the Internet establish anelectronic link between the client 20 and the appropriate server 32-38.Communications with the Internet are received on incoming Internet line24.

The client hardware architecture for both the browser and the jumper isshown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The client 20 contains storage 204,computational hardware 202, operating system 206, and GUI (GraphicalUser Interface) 200. The storage 204 contains a storage segment 230 inwhich the jumper stores parsed HTML files. Hardware 202 comprises amicroprocessor, an I/O interface, a display and a bus connection tostorage 204. The operating system 206 may comprise a bios and anoperating environment such as System 7™, Unix™ or Windows™. The GUI 200comprises jumper 28 and browser 30. Browser 30 comprises user I/O 208and presenter 210. The jumper 28 comprises user I/O 212, presenter 214,and parser 216.

The operation of hardware 202 is controlled by the operating system 206.The operating system and graphical user interface (GUI) 200, create thelocal environment in which the jumper 28 and browser 30 exist. Thebrowser user I/O 208 handles the tasks of sending and retrievingcommunications 218 via the operating system 206 and hardware 202 to theInternet 22. The browser handles Internet communications for the jumper.The browser user I/O communicates with the jumper user I/O 212 viajumper-parser I/O protocol 224. The browser user I/O also handles thetask of translating files received from the Internet, e.g., HTML encodedfiles, to the presenter 210 via presenter protocol 220. Additionally,browser user I/O uploads at the direction of jumper user I/O 212, HTMLencoded files to parser 216 via browser I/O-jumper parser protocol 222.

Jumper parser 216 handles the task of converting an HTML encoded fileuploaded from browser user I/O 208 into a format suitable for a singlejump or automatic jump mode search, as discussed above in connectionwith FIG. 9B. The parser extracts from the HTML file: an advertisement,a plurality of URLs and topic descriptors corresponding to each URL. Theparser passes these via jumper-parser I/O protocol 226 to jumper userI/O 212. Jumper user I/O 212 communicates with jumper presenter 214 viajumper I/O -presenter protocol 228 to display to the user available jumpsites and to provide a user interface by which the user may inputcommands. Jumper user I/O also communicates with browser I/O 208 viabrowser I/O- jumper I/O protocol 224.

User Interface:

An embodiment of the jumper user interface is shown in FIG. 3. Thisinterface allows the user to see all the hot-links on a given level andto select a hot link in either single jump or automatic jump mode asdescribed above in connection with FIG. 9B. The jumper thus enhances thesearch capabilities of the browser.

Jumper window 300 comprises a menu bar 302, a button bar 304, anadvertisement area 306, a jump site window 308, and a drop-down listbutton 310. The jumper menu bar contains file, edit, action, and helpitems. Jumper button bar contains a first entry button 312, a previousentry button 314, a random jump button 316, a next entry button 318, alast entry button 320, a start timer button 322, a stop timer button 324and a refresh/update button 326.

The jump site window 308 has an associated drop down list accessible byselecting drop-down-down list button 310. This list comprises parsedhot-links. These hot-links are extracted from a file initially retrievedby the browser. Any one of the hot-links in the parsed list can beselected by the user with a mouse. This drop-down list provides onemethod for selecting a specific Internet site to jump to. Advertisementarea 306 contains an advertisement parsed from an HTML page received bythe browser. Button bar 304 provides controls for single jump andautomatic jump mode. All buttons relate to the hot-links in the jumper'sparsed list regardless of how far the user has drilled-down in thebrowser. All buttons return the user to at least one of the hot-links onthe list and direct the browser 30 shown in FIGS. 1-2 to retrieve a filefrom the site corresponding to the URL associated with the hot-link andfurther direct the browser to display that file to the user.

First entry button 312 allows the user to return from a drill-down tothe first entry on parsed list. Previous entry button 314 returns theuser to the prior hot-link on the list. Random jump button 316 returnsthe user to a randomly selected hot-link on the parsed list. Next entrybutton 318 selects the next hot-link on the list, and last entry button320 accesses the last entry on the list. Start timer button 322initiates the automatic and successive selection of every hot-link onthe parsed list and the browser responsive thereto, displays for theuser a file retrieved from the URL corresponding to each hot-link. Theanimation initiated by start timer button is terminated by stop timerbutton 324. Refresh/update button 326 causes all hot-links in a filewhich the browser has retrieved to be parsed and uploaded and displayedin the drop-down list of jumper window 300. Additionally, this parsedlist is stored in HTML storage segment 230 as shown in FIG. 2.

In alternate embodiments the jumper window may take any of severalforms. The user interface may include popup or persistent window, atoolbar, a menu modification of the browser window, a toolbarmodification of the browser window, or the use of accelerator keys onthe keyboard.

FIG. 4 shows a prior art browser user interface and a query form of aninformation index provider. This interface allows the user to access webfiles and also displays the file contents to the user. The browserinterface 400 is that of Netscape Navigators™. The browser interfaceincludes a browser menu bar 402, a site window 404, and a window 406 forviewing a file. The browser menu bar includes a back button 412 and ahome button 414. The file shown in the view window is the query form 408of Yahoo™. The query form has a query field 410.

The browser menu bar 402 generally provides for editing and savingfiles. Back button 412 allows the user to move back a search tree inreverse serial order as shown in FIG. 9A. Home button 414 allows theuser to return to their home page 900 in the browser window. The browsersite window 404 displays the URL corresponding to the file currentlybeing displayed, in this case the query form 408 of Yahoo™. The queryform is encoded in a markup language and contains a query field 410 inwhich the user may enter the search topic for which a topical of the webis desired. In this case, the search topic is “Rat.” When the searchtopic is entered, it is sent by the browser over the web to Server 34owned by Yahoo™ 40 and shown in FIG. 1.

Conducting a Search:

FIGS. 5A-C show the initial stages of a search session conducted withthe jumper and browser. A browser interface 400, a file retrieved by thebrowser, and a jumper window 300 are shown. These are the basic toolsfor the demonstrative search. The initial file retrieved from Yahoo™ inresponse to the query “Rat” is shown as an upper page portion 502 a anda lower page portion 502 b in FIGS. 5A-B and 5C, respectively. These areaccessed by scrollable window bar 500. The retrieved file contains anadvertisement 504, a search result summary 506, a plurality of hot-linksof which 508-514 and 580-584 are referenced. A representative hot-link514, is shown to contain both an URL 516 and a text portion 518. In FIG.5C a jumper drop down list 586 is shown. In addition, the retrieved filealso contains a next feature 588.

In response to the entry of the query “Rat” as shown on FIG. 4, thequery is sent by browser to Yahoo™. The topical index 46 at Yahoo™,shown in FIG. 1, is searched and the file 502 a-b containing all relatedlevel 1 hot-links and other information is returned to the client 20 anddisplayed to the user by the browser as 502 a-b. Page 502 a is captionedwith an advertisement 504. Immediately below the advertisement is asearch result summary 506, which indicates 74 matches pertaining to theword “Rat” and display of the first 20 hot links for those matches.Various hot-links with subject descriptions appear on the page in boldtext with underlining. These are, for example, 508, “Entertainment,Humor. . .”, 510, “Regional Alternative Theater. . .”, 512, “Space RAT.. .”, 514, “Agrizap, Inc. . .”.

Each hot-link as discussed above is an active reference. For example thehot-link 514 comprises a hypertext identifier “<A”, an URL 516, a textportion 518 and a closing identifier. The browser displays to the useronly text portion 518 and any images that may accompany it. These arehighlighted and underlined on the user display to indicate to the userthat when they are selected with a mouse a corresponding URL will besent by the browser to the Internet to access the specific file referredto by the URL.

As shown in FIG. 5B, jumper window 300 has been refreshed viarefresh/update button 326, discussed above in connection with FIG. 3.Responsive to selection of refresh/update button 326, the file 502 a-bis passed from the browser 30 to the jumper parser 216 as shown in FIG.2. All hot-links including the referenced hot-links 508-514 and 580-584are extracted and passed to jumper user I/O 212. These are passed tojumper presenter 214 and displayed in the jumper window 300.Specifically the advertisement 504 is displayed in jumper advertisementarea 306, and all hot-links 508-514 and 580-584 are put in the jumperdrop down list. The first of these hot-links 508 is displayed in thejumper site window 308.

In FIG. 5C, the lower portion 502 b of the retrieved HTML page is shown.It contains hot-links 580, 582, 584. In jumper window 300 andspecifically jumper site window 308 thereof, the jumper drop-downwindow, 586, is shown. This window has been accessed by the user'sselection of jumper drop-down list button 310. The drop-down listcontains all hot-links that were obtained from the original file 502 a-bincluding the referenced hotlinks 508-514 and 580-584.

Now, by reference to FIG. 6, a later stage of the search session isshown. FIG. 6 shows a file 600 in browser view window 406, an URLcorresponding to file 600 in browser site window 404, and a highlight602 around hot-link 580 in both the jumper drop-down list window 586 andthe jumper site window 308. The file 600 was obtained in a drill-downconducted in the browser window 406. The steps in that drill-downintervening between FIG. 5C and FIG. 6 have not been shown. Thedrill-down however resembles that shown and discussed above inconnection with FIG. 9A. The file 600, shown in browser window 406 isfour levels removed from the initial level 1 hot-link 580. Thedrill-down was conducted on the browser view screen by selecting thehot-links presented in the files retrieved by the browser. If the userdesires to return to the an other hot-link from the level 1 file, shownas 502 a-b in FIGS. 5A-C, from this file 600, they could use the browsermenu bar to do so but it would be slow. They would have to select backbutton 412 four times to return them one level at a time in reverseserial order through their entire search back to the level 1 file. Theprocess is time consuming. Alternately, if they selected the browserhome key 414 they would return to their home page and lose the level 1search results. Neither of these alternatives is acceptable. Both ofthese alternatives are cumbersome.

If the jumper product is utilized instead, the user has several options.As a first option, the user may select one of jumper buttons 312, 314,316, 318 or 320 to return to respectively: a first, a previous, arandom, a next, or a last of the hot-links shown in FIG. 6 in jumperdrop-down list window 586. In response to user selection, the filecorresponding to the selected hot-link will be retrieved and displayedin the browser window 406. As a second option, the user may select starttimer button 322 to initiate the automatic and successive selection at atimed interval of every hot-link on the parsed list. In response to theautomatic jump mode selection, each file corresponding to the selectedhot-link will be retrieved and displayed by the browser for the timedinterval. As a third option, the user may select drop-down window button310 and select a given entry from the drop down list by clicking on itwith a mouse. In response to their selection the file corresponding tothe selected hot-link will be retrieved and displayed in the browserwindow 406. Alternately, another instance of browser can be opened todisplay the selected file. All of these choices enhance the search, andnone require multiple reverse serial order steps to return to the level1 hot-links.

Process Flow:

FIG. 7 shows the process connected with conducting a search utilizing aprior art browser. Commencing with start process 700, a connectionprocess 702 results in Yahoo's™ home page 408 and query form beingdisplayed in browser window 406, as shown in FIG. 4. Then in queryprocess 704, the user enters a search topic, e.g., “Rat”, in informationindexer query field 410. In response to the entry of that search topic,the browser sends the query to server 34 of the search index provider,e.g., Yahoo™, the relevant topical identifiers and URLs are uploaded onan HTML encoded file/page and presented to the user in page receiptprocess 706. Subsequently, when a user utilizing a mouse selects one ofthe hot-links shown on that page, e.g., 502 a-b, then that selection isdetected in site access decision 708. The URL corresponding to the lastselected hot-link is output over the Internet to access the fileindicated by that URL and that file is uploaded and displayed in accessprocess 710 to the user. Subsequently, in history creation process 712,that URL is added to a stack comprising in LIFO order the most recentlyaccessed files, including the complete URL for those files. Control isthen returned to back-one decision 714 which decision is also reached ifa negative determination is made in site access decision 708. Inback-one decision 714, a determination is made as to whether the userhas selected back button 412 on the browser menu 402. If that selectionhas been made, then control is passed to repeat history process 716 inwhich the previous site visited is popped from the history stack and inaccess process 718 the browser accesses the site and file indicated bythe prior URL and presents that in its view window to the user. Controlis subsequently returned to site access decision 708.

Alternately, if in back-one decision 714 a negative determination isreached the browser awaits the next user command 720.

In FIGS. 8A-C the process connected with one embodiment of the currentinvention is shown. It contrasts with the prior art process, in that theuser may return to the level of files pointed to by any level onehot-link immediately. The cumbersome process and many steps of reverseserial order traversal discussed above in FIG. 7, are not thereforenecessary. FIG. 8A is an overall view of the process connected witheither the single jump or automatic jump mode. FIG. 8B details thespecific steps connected with the automatic jump mode. FIG. 8C detailsthe specific steps connected with the single jump mode.

Commencing with FIG. 8A and start jumper process 800 control is passedto refresh decision 802. In the event, a determination is made thatrefresh/update button 326 shown in FIG. 3 has been selected, thencontrol is passed to fetch and parse process 804 in which an HTMLencoded page displayed in the browser view window is uploaded and parsedinto an advertisement and hot-links. These are displayed in the jumperadvertisement area 306 and the jumper drop-down window 586,respectively. Then in history decision 806, the determination is made asto whether the jumper history maintain option has been selected. Thisoption is found under the edit portion of the menu bar 302. In the eventthat this option has been selected, then control is passed to append andstore process 808 in which the hot-links extracted in fetch and parseprocess 804 are appended and stored with previous hot-links in theparsed HTML files in storage segment 230 shown on FIG. 2. Control isthen passed to display URL process 812. Alternately, if a negativedetermination is made in history decision 806, then control is passed tostore process 810 in which the hot-links from the fetch and parseprocess 804 replace any existing stored hot-links. Subsequent controlalso is passed to display URL process 812. In display URL process 812,the hot-links are displayed in the jumper drop-down window 586 as shownin FIG. 6. Control subsequently passes to display advertisement process814 in which an image corresponding to an advertisement parsed from thebrowser page is placed in the jumper advertisement area 306.

As discussed above in connection with refresh decision 802, if anegative determination is made that the refresh button has not beenpressed, then control passes also to display advertisement process 814in which the advertisement from the page currently displayed on browserwindow 406 is uploaded and displayed in the jumper advertisement area306. Control subsequently passes to start timer decision 816. If theuser has selected start timer button 322 from the jumper menu bar, thenautomatic jump mode commences in a manner set forth in FIG. 8B.Alternately, if a negative determination is reached, then control ispassed to jumper button select decision 818. A determination is made asto whether the user has selected any one of buttons 310-320 in thejumper window 300. In this event, control is passed to processes setforth on FIG. 8C and corresponding to single jump mode. The return fromeither the automatic jump or single jump process is via splice block Bto jumper button select decision 818. Finally, when a negativedetermination is reached in jumper button select decision, controlreturns to refresh decision 802. This completes the overall processingconnected with the jumpers tree traversal.

In FIG. 8B, the automatic jump mode of the search process is shown ingreater detail. This process allows a user to view an animated tour ofthe level 2 files pointed to by the level 1 hot links in the browserwindow. Commencing with splice block A, control passes to memory fetchprocess 840 in which the first URL, of the hot-links in storage segment230 shown in FIG. 2, is fetched by the jumper. In the next process,jumper-browser process 842 the first URL is sent to the browser, userI/O 208 caused the browser to access the specific site and file on thesite, to upload the file and to display the file in the browser window406. In one embodiment, if the browser is still loading a previous filewhen the jumper-browser process 842 is reached, then sending the browserthe URL interrupts the loading of the previous file. In anotherembodiment, the jumper-browser process 842 does not interrupt theloading of the previous file. In a third embodiment, whether thejumper-browser process 842 interrupts the loading of the previous fileis a user configurable option.

Control is then passed to delay process 844 in which a user selectabledisplay interval causes the page image to be displayed on browser window406 for the selected time interval. At the end of that time interval,control is passed to memory fetch process 846 in which the next URL inthe parsed HTML file is uploaded and in last of list decision 848 adetermination is made as to whether that URL is the last among thestored URLs. In the event that determination is in the negative, controlreturns to jumper-browser process 842 for the timed display of the nextaccessed URL. This loop from jumper-browser process 842 through last oflist decision 848 constitutes a user configurable animation, in which aset of URLs which have been parsed and stored are now used to drive anautomatic retrieval and display process.

Alternately, in last URL decision 848, if a determination is made in theaffirmative, control is passed to “next” link decision, 850. In nextlink decision 850 a determination is made as to whether the last URLalso includes a query for the next 10 entries corresponding to theexample shown in FIG. 5C and indicated by 588. In the event thatdetermination is in the affirmative, control is passed tojumper-browser-jumper process 852. In process 852 the query for the next10 hot-links is sent to Yahoo™. In response the next HTML encoded pagecontaining the 10 hot-links is retrieved. Control is passed to parseprocess 854 in which all the URLs and corresponding text identifiers areparsed along with the image corresponding to the advertisement. Then inbuffer process 856, the parser output is stored for this session.Control then passes to memory fetch process 840 for automatic retrievaland display. Alternately, if in “next” link decision 850, a negativedetermination is made, then in jumper-browser process 858, the last URLis sent to the browser to both access and display the file correspondingto the last URL. Subsequently, control is passed to splice block B for areturn to hot-link select decision 818.

The process corresponding to the single jump mode is shown in FIG. 8C.This process allows the user to select a specific level 1 hot-link andhave the browser retrieve and display the level 2 file corresponding tothe selected level 1 hot-link. In window process 880, the jumperdrop-down window 586 is automatically opened, as is shown in FIG. 5C.Then in drop-down button process 882 a determination is made at towhether the button selected by the user and detected in jumper buttonselect decision 818, was the drop-down list button 310. If the user didselect button 310 then the user has not yet selected a specific hot-linkfrom the parsed hot-links in the jumper drop-down window 586. Control isthen passed to wait process 884. When the user selects a specific entryfrom the drop-down list control passes to locate select process 886.Alternately, if a negative determination is reached in jumper buttonselect decision 818 then control is passed directly to locate selectprocess 886. A negative determination in jumper select decision 818means that one of jumper buttons 312, 314, 316, 318 or 320, was selectedthereby indicating a specific user choice for the single jump location.These buttons were discussed above in connection with FIG. 3.

In locate select process 886 a determination is made as to which of thehot-links in the jumper drop-down window was selected. If, for example,first entry button 312 were selected then the first of the hot-links inthe list is selected. Alternately, if the user selected drop-down windowbutton 310 and then mouse selected an entry e.g. the fourth entry on thedrop-down list, then that entry would be highlighted. In the exampleshown in FIG. 6 the user has selected hot-link 580 and that selection,the “Ricky Rock Rat” hot-link is detected by the jumper.

Subsequent to selection detection, control is passed to jumper-browserprocess 888. The URL corresponding to the selected hot-link is passed bythe jumper to the browser causing the browser to locate and subsequentlydisplay a file corresponding to that URL. The jumper continues todisplay all level “1” sites as hot-links. In the next step highlightprocess 890 the selected hot-link is highlighted, as shown for examplein FIG. 6 as highlight 602 around selected hot-link 580, “Ricky RockRat”. After the highlight process, the selected hot-link on thedrop-down list is copied to the jumper site window 308 in copy process892. Subsequently, in process 894 the jumper drop-down window is closed.

When the browser displays the above mentioned file, the user may conducta drill-down on the hot-links in that file in the browser window. Inthat case, the browser window is active and the jumper window isinactive. When the drill-down is complete and the user reactivates thejumper window by mouse clicking on it, that reactivation is detected inprocess 898 and control is passed to jumper select decision 818 via thesplice block B, shown in FIG. 8A.

The following describes additional embodiments of the invention. Exceptwhere stated in alternative form, each of these embodiments includefeatures that can be combined with the features discussed above.

Some alternative embodiments provide better integration of the jumpersfunctions and the browsers functions. In one embodiment of theinvention, when a user initiates a search in the browser, the jumperautomatically starts and begins parsing the results of the search. Thissaves the user from having to start the jumper separately from thebrowser. In another embodiment, the jumper functions are built directlyinto the browser. In a different embodiment, the jumper is implementedas an application, such as an applet, which is sent to the browser bythe search engine. All of these embodiments provide a more integratedjumper/browser environment for the user.

Some alternative embodiments provide the user with more powerful toolsfor traversing the search results. In one embodiment, the categories inthe search results are specially tagged (e.g., with a previously unusedHTML tag) to indicate category fields as opposed to simple URLs.Alternatively, the categories can be parsed given their location in thesearch result (e.g., not indented). In an embodiment that includescategory identification, the jumper includes functions for jumping fromone category to the next category, in addition to being able to jumpfrom one site identifier to the site identifier. As an enhancement tothis embodiment, the user is presented with additional buttons forjumping from category to category. In another embodiment, the user candefine how many site identifiers should be parsed from the searchresults. For example, if the search results provide twenty siteidentifiers, but the user may only want the first five identifiers, theuser can specify that only the first five identifiers be provided.Similarly, in another embodiment, the user can specify what types ofresults should be parsed (e.g., only categories). Alternatively, inanother embodiment, the jumper parses all the site identifiers, but theuser specifies how many or what type to display.

In another embodiment, the user will be able to invoke the product fromwithin their electronic e-mail box simply by double-clicking on attachedfiles. These files may be encoded in markup language. In anotherembodiment, the HTML parsed files for both transmission and receipt byusers would be able to be compressed and decompressed by users withsimple click commands common to normal software operations. In anotherembodiment, the product will not require an additional instance of thepresenter to be invoked upon return to the original home page. In stillanother embodiment of the product, the list box will contain a drag anddrop user interface which will allow the user to cut and paste URLs fromone list to another and compile their own individual lists to theirpreferred selection and taste. In still one more embodiment of theproduct, the user will be able to adjust and modify the overallinterface of various URLs, hot-links and other files viewable within thepresenter to both highlight the various objects mentioned previously formarking the users place in the list that they are working from, andsimilarly be able to change the nature of the highlight of suchpreviously mentioned item to be noted as important by a permanenthighlighting of the particular object.

Thus, a method and apparatus for retrieving information has beendescribed. Note that though the foregoing has particular utility and hasbeen described with reference to certain specific embodiments in thefigures and the text, that one may practice the present inventionwithout implementing all of these specific details. Thus, the figuresand the text are to be viewed in an illustrative sense only, and notlimit the present invention. The present invention is only to be limitedby the appended claims which follow.

DEFINITIONS

1. NETWORK: A network is a hard drive, a local network, a wide areanetwork, an intranet, the internet or any series or combination ofcomputers or computing hardware.

2. FILE: A file is a collection of data that may be coded or unencoded.Coded files may contain the HTML, SGML or other mark up language.Unencoded files comprise; audio, visual, graphics, and/or video. Filesmay be encrypted or unencrypted during transmission. An electronic mailmessage is also considered to be a file. In addition, attachments toelectronic mail are also considered files.

3. PRESENTER: A presenter is an interactive information media eithervisual or audio, animated or static, graphical or textual, audio orsilent.

4. SITE IDENTIFIER: A site identifier is a pointer to a file.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer implemented method of retrieving information from a network comprising: receiving a first file of information which includes at least site identifiers; parsing said first file of information to extract a list of site identifiers storing the list of site identifiers; automatically sending a plurality of jump commands to the browser separated by a selectable delay period wherein each of said jump commands includes a one of said site identifiers from said list comprising site identifiers, and wherein further responsive to said plurality of jump commands a site corresponding to each of said site identifiers is accessed.
 2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein said step of automatically sending further comprises; retrieving a file from each of said accessed sites corresponding to each of said site identifiers.
 3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein said step of automatically sending further comprises; displaying each of said retrieved files.
 4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein: said first file comprises information in a markup language; and said site identifiers comprise URLs.
 5. The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein: said first file comprises information in a markup language; and said site identifiers comprise URLs.
 6. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a retrieval of information from the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a first file of information which includes site identifiers and other information; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to parse said first file of information to extract a list comprising site identifiers; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to automatically send a plurality of jump commands separated bv a delay period wherein each of said jump commands includes a one of said site identifiers from said list comprising site identifiers, and wherein further responsive to said plurality of jump commands, a site corresponding to each of said site identifiers is accessed.
 7. The computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture of claim 6 comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer responsive to said automatically sending a plurality of jump commands to retrieve a file from each of said accessed sites corresponding to each of said site identifiers.
 8. The computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture of claim 7 comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer responsive to said automatically sending a plurality of jump commands, to display each of said retrieved files.
 9. The computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture of claim 6 comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive said first file of information, wherein said first file, comprises information in a markup language and said site identifiers comprise URLs.
 10. The computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture of claim 8 comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive said first file of information, wherein said first file, comprises information in a markup language and said site identifiers comprise URLs. 